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Pakistan Protests Approach Islamabad's Red Zone

Opposition party leader Imran Khan has threatened to enter Islamabad’s government district.
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Tens of thousands of protesters are pushing deeper into Islamabad as the march against the government continues.

Opposition party leader Imran Khan is spearheading the protests, which are partly the result of last year’s elections — elections Khan says were rigged. (Video via Euronews)

Also at the forefront of the protests is opposition cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri, who Press TV reports has called for the dissolution of Pakistan’s cabinet, and the arrest of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

“Both Tahir-ul-Qadri and Imran Khan’s supporters are angry about a number of issues, including the economy, growing militancy and a failure to deliver basic services.” (Video via BBC)

Now, protesters are threatening to enter Islamabad’s government district, known as the red zone — despite heavy security from local police and the armed forces. (Video via CNN)

But the movement is not without its own growing pains. Local outlets point out support for Khan’s protests has thinned out in the face of heavy rains and the absence of support facilities for protesters.

Still, thousands of protesters remain in Islamabad; and Imran Khan has vowed to "not leave here until I have got real freedom for the country." (Video via Al Jazeera)

The Pakinstani government, meanwhile, has condemned the protestors’ ultimatums. NDTV quotes the government’s information minister, who says “(Khan and Qadri) are giving deadline to democracy in the country.”

This video contains an image from Getty Images.